Lightning Strikes
by emerald-hopes
Summary: All is well at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter... That is, until Hermione's parents are mysteriously murdered. Everyone, including the coroner, is stumped. And what about little Audrey Potter? What could be wrong with her? *FINAL CHAPTER NOW UP!*
1. Audrey

A/N: I will NOT write a Mary-Sue I will NOT write a Mary-Sue I will NOT write a Mary-Sue *looks up* Oh hello. I was just thinking of how I seem to have the awful habit of writing Mary-Sues and was hoping I wouldn't turn this story into one. If you have any suggestions (CONSTRUCTIVE suggestions that is) don't hesitate to review!  
  
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"Harry, Harry I think we should stop," whispered Hermione. Despite her protests, she moaned with pleasure as Harry planted kisses along her collarbone. The blue sheets were twisted around her slim body; it was the result of her suggesting that she and Harry try and get some sleep.  
  
"Hermione, it's okay. We won't do anything," said Harry, pausing to look into his wife's chocolate brown eyes. He kissed the tip of her nose.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and groaned. "That's what you ALWAYS say! Besides, the doctor said we should wait awhile before engaging in a lot of intimacy. Giving birth isn't easy on my body you know!" She patted her stomach, which was back to its original state. Hermione was glad for this. Her back had been killing her all throughout her pregnancy.  
  
Harry grinned. "I can only imagine," he said, "but it gave us a wonderful gift, don't you think?" He got off their four-poster bed and walked over to the white bassinet draped with pink linens and peered at the tiny child inside. She was so small and fragile. Her tiny fingers and toes always fascinated Harry. Audrey loved it when Harry would play "This Little Piggy Went to Market" with her. She would coo and giggle for hours if he ever played that long.  
  
"Oh, absolutely," breathed Hermione, walking over to join him. Her long, loose curls hung around her face as she looked down at her infant daughter fast asleep, her chest rising and falling steadily. She moved her head a little, revealing the small birthmark on the right side of her neck.  
  
"It's amazing that we created this new life, isn't it?" asked Harry, putting an arm around Hermione.  
  
She nodded. "It sure is," she said softly, still looking at the child. "Audrey is a wonderful addition to the family.  
  
The dark blue drapes billowed in the wind as she said that, and Hermione shivered. She was exhausted as well; Audrey had to be fed very often, and Hermione had just finished feeding her infant.  
  
"Come on, let's go to bed - for real this time," Hermione said as Harry got a sly grin on his face.  
  
Harry nodded. "Okay," he said. He kissed his daughter's tiny forehead. "Goodnight Audrey," he whispered before climbing back into his own bed.  
  
Hermione smiled as Harry put an arm around her as they lay in bed silently. It felt so wonderful to have her own husband and child. And as she closed her eyes a final time that night, she knew that she would never, ever, let anyone - or anything - hurt either one of them.  
  
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A/N: I know it's short, but this is the prologue. I promise to update soon! 


	2. Horrifically Distorted

DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own here is Audrey. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
A/N: I fixed the part about Hermione's mother Appartaing. I knew she was a Muggle but for some reason I momentarily forgot. Oops.  
  
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"I'm s- so co-cold," said Hermione through clenched teeth. She wrapped her black wool coat more tightly around her body. A few wisps of hair came loose from the bun under her hood and sprang out into the air, soon getting covered with snow.  
  
"Y-you're tel-telling m-me," Harry responded, putting his arm around Hermione, more for body heat than love.  
  
The couple was returning from a trip to Hogsmede late one January afternoon. Their house was about ten minutes outside of the all-wizard village, and the weather had been only crisp and cool when Harry and Hermione were ready to leave, so they had decided to walk. Little did they know that when they were all done with their trip the clouds would become and angry shade of dark gray and open up to dump tons of snow on top of them. Audrey had been left at the house with Hermione's mother, who had taken the train to see her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter for the day.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Hermione and Harry were walking up the wooden steps and onto the porch in front of their house. Hermione pulled open the dark oak door and stepped inside. Immediately she was hit with a blast of warm air, for which she was glad. Stepping aside as to let Harry inside, she called to her mother, but got no response.  
  
"Maybe she's upstairs in Audrey's room," suggested Harry. Since Audrey was now older, she had been moved into her own room down the hall from her parents.  
  
Hermione nodded and shrugged her coat off, then hung it on the coat rack. Harry did the same as Hermione walked away slowly, calling for her mother again, yet still there was no answer. Her footsteps were muffled as she walked on the Merlot-colored carpet in the living room, then got louder when she reached the hardwood floor of the hallway. She peered into the small den, but the lights were off and no one was in there.  
  
"Mom?" she called, turning towards the stairs with their beige carpet.  
  
No answer.  
  
Hermione's heart skipped a beat as she considered the possibilities. "What could be wrong with Mum though?" she muttered to herself. Her mother was a fairly young woman, only forty years old.  
  
Hermione began to climb the stairs, and when she reached the top she suddenly felt cold, despite her sweater and jeans. She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked along the upstairs, not bothering to turn on the lights.  
  
By now she had reached Audrey's room. The pale pink wallpaper came into view first, then the white crib, then the rocking chair and changing table. All of a sudden Hermione felt a strange feeling, as though someone was with her, but when she turned around no one was there, although she heard harry downstairs rustling the pots and pans, preparing dinner.  
  
"What am I doing?" Hermione asked herself, "This is crazy! I'm just going to go into my daughter's room, that's all!"  
  
And so she did, very slowly. She didn't push the door open all the way, for she didn't have reason to. Audrey was sleeping soundly in her crib, luckily still alive. Hermione smiled and touched her daughter's hand; it wasn't too cold or too hot, just right.  
  
"Wait a minute," said Hermione, "why am I thinking it's good that Audrey's alive? Of course it is, but I had no reason to suspect that she might be otherwise. I think."  
  
SLAM!  
  
Hermione whipped around to see that the door had slammed shut.  
  
"It must be the wind," Hermione concluded aloud. She was shaking from nervousness.  
  
But when she observed all the windows, she saw that none of them were open, and for a good reason too: it was the beginning of January and very cold out, as Hermione and Harry had learned the hard way.  
  
Hermione began to walk out of the room and tell Harry that she had found Audrey but not her mother when she suddenly froze mid-stride.  
  
For there, in a crumpled heap behind where the door would be if it was open, was the dead body of Hermione's mother, horrifically distorted and bloody. 


	3. Hogsmede Police Station

A/N: Due to the fact that my reviewers want another chapter NOW, I'm writing one. :) Enjoy!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here except my own characters, and I think you'll be able to figure out who they are. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
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"I'm sorry Mrs. Potter, but could you please tell us one more time exactly what happened?"  
  
Three hours later, Harry, Hermione, and Audrey were at the Hogsmede Police Station. Harry and Hermione sat in soft, dark blue velvet chairs in front of the head detective's desk in his office. Two other detectives and some investigators were there as well.  
  
Harry glanced at his wife and took her hand reassuringly. Her face was contorted with emotion, yet she had yet to shed a tear. The emotions on her face were a mixed bag of fear, sadness, anger, and confusion. WHY WAS HER MOTHER DEAD?  
  
As soon as she had seen her mother's body and screamed, Harry had abandoned his stirfry and come running upstairs and into Audrey's room. The noise had woken her up and she was crying loudly. But this was the one time when neither of her parents noticed right away.  
  
"Harry, oh Harry I- I don't -what on earth happened?" cried Hermione, looking at her husband in dismay.  
  
He shook his head. "I don't know," was all he could say.  
  
"What do we do?" she asked softly, falling against him. Her brown eyes stared at her mother.  
  
"We need to call the hospital and the police," said Harry firmly, "Stay here and take care of Audrey and get her ready to go with us if she has to. I'll make the call."  
  
And so he had went down the hall and called the Hogsmede emergency operator to report what had happened. It was by far no easy call to make, but it had to be done. The operator told Harry the police were on their way and hung up.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione had been cradling her daughter in her arms, calming her screams to whimpers. When she finally quieted down, Hermione changed her into warm clothes as the sirens roared outside. There was a knock at the front door and Harry went to answer it. Hermione was just pulling Audrey's white winter coat covered with bunny rabbits over her daughter's head as the officers and Harry walked in.  
  
There were three officers, all dressed in crisp uniforms. They introduced themselves as Officers McGowan, Smith, and Rodriguez. They were shocked to find the body of Mrs. Granger in the state in which it was.  
  
"Holy shit," said Officer Smith, "I had no idea it would be THIS bad. We'd better get her to the coroner right away."  
  
Harry showed him where the phone was while Officers McGowan and Rodriguez questioned Hermione. When the coroner arrived and took the body, the remaining people got into a police cruiser and went straight to the Hogsmede Police Station. The coroner had called to say that he had not yet found the cause of death, but he would call as soon as he was sure.  
  
And this had all been too much trauma for Hermione to handle. Although she had not yet cried, she felt as though she was on the brink of doing so. She set Audrey's banana seat on the floor beside her and glanced at Harry.  
  
He nodded to her, and so for what felt like the millionth time Hermione told them everything - how her mother was watching Audrey for no more than two hours, how when they had returned no lights were on in the house, and that strange feeling she'd had that someone was with her. And then of course, she told them about actually seeing the body behind the door in Audrey's room after it had closed by itself.  
  
The head detective checked his notes and thanked the Potters, even Audrey, who had been a good sport throughout the night. Even though it eleven o'clock, she was still wide-awake and cooing at everyone in her own cute way.  
  
"We'll be sure to call you with an update tomorrow," said the head detective as he ushered the Potters out of the station, "Thank you so much for your time. Good night."  
  
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A/N: Want another chapter? I need at least five more to make another one! 


	4. Typical Day

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here except my own characters, and I think you'll be able to figure out who they are. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
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"Hermione."  
  
The voice roused Hermione from her deep sleep. She groaned and ignored it, not wanting to wake up. By sleeping she had managed to forget about the events of the night before.  
  
"Hermione, you really should get up. It's almost ten o'clock."  
  
"Ten o'clock!" yelped Hermione, sitting up in a flash. Her hair swung forward as she did so and her nightgown was twisted around her body, but she hardly noticed.  
  
Harry smiled wryly. "Yes, and I think the reason you've slept so late is because you were up until two in the morning watching soap operas and eating chocolate pudding; am I correct?" He sat down on the bed next to his wife.  
  
Hermione smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Harry," she began, "it- well, it made me feel better, if you can believe that," she sighed.  
  
Harry nodded and took Hermione's hand. "I know this is hard for you," he said, "but at least you knew your mother before she died."  
  
Hermione saw the look in Harry's green eyes that meant they were in a sensitive subject, so she said, "Yes, but now there's a lot to be done. Oh no! I need to call dad!" Hermione couldn't believe that had bypassed her thoughts.  
  
She jumped out of bed and quickly strode over to her dresser and selected an outfit. "Where's Audrey?" she asked over her shoulder as she went into the master bathroom.  
  
"In her playpen with some toys," called Harry, "and I'll go check on her now. Do you want breakfast?"  
  
"No thanks," Hermione called, pulling a shirt over her head. She heard Harry go downstairs.  
  
"I can't believe I didn't call dad!" Hermione said aloud, brushing the tangles out of her hair. "I better do that before I do anything else."  
  
As soon as she was dressed, Hermione went down the hall to the phone and dialed her father's number. It rang eight times before the answering machine picked up.  
  
"Hi dad, it's Hermione," she said, "I just wanted to talk to you and make sure you're okay. Call me later. Bye."  
  
She replaced the phone in its cradle and sighed. What was she thinking, wondering if her father was okay? Of course he wasn't; his wife of twenty- one years had just mysteriously died! For a moment Hermione wished that she had had the courage the night before to make the call to her father about her mother's death, but she had asked Officer Rodriguez to do it instead.  
  
Since neither the police nor the coroner had called yet, there was nothing more Hermione could do at the moment. She wandered downstairs and played with Audrey for awhile before deciding she really should eat something other than chocolate pudding. Later in the day she and Harry took Audrey for a walk in her stroller, came home, and ate dinner. It had been a typical day up until eight o'clock, when the police called.  
  
Hermione was upstairs in Audrey's room, getting ready to put her to bed. She heard the phone ring just as she was laying Audrey down in her crib and Harry picked up the phone.  
  
"Goodnight Audrey. I love you," Hermione said, kissing her daughter's forehead.  
  
Audrey smiled and cooed before closing her eyes. Hermione smiled also and went downstairs. Just as she entered the kitchen she heard Harry say, "Yes, thank you Officer Smith," before hanging up the phone.  
  
"What did he say?" asked Hermione, sitting down at the kitchen table.  
  
Harry looked at her, a somber look in his eyes. "Hermione, I love you," he said carefully, sitting down next to her.  
  
Hermione frowned. Harry did this whenever he was about to say something he didn't want to say.  
  
"What? What did he say?" she asked again.  
  
Harry closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. When he opened them again he began to speak.  
  
"Hermione," he said, taking her hand, "your father is dead."  
  
Hermione jerked her hand away from Harry's and stood up abruptly. "What in the name of hell are you talking about?" she cried.  
  
"Honey, he's dead! His body was found behind the train station early this morning. No one knows how he died, and now the coroner's looking at your father as well as your mother." Harry stood up too and looked into Hermione' s eyes.  
  
"I - I-" said Hermione, "how - why?"  
  
"I wish I knew sweetheart," said Harry, "I wish I knew."  
  
Hermione started crying then. Harry opened his arms and she fell into them, sobbing. Harry embraced her and tried to calm her, but it was no use. Hermione felt as though her world was unraveling and there was nothing she could do to stop it.  
  
And then the phone rang again.  
  
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A/N: So, what do you think? I want at least twenty review altogether before I make another chapter!  
  
Also, a big thanks to Stephanorkle, AllStar628, FEAngel258, Robaatsu, silverwand13, harryschic, sherry, britbrat, and hermione for your reviews! Love ya all! Mwah! 


	5. Author's Notes

AUTHOR'S NOTES FOR "Lightning Strikes"  
  
Hey everyone! Thanks for sticking with this story; I've had a lot of fun writing it and it wouldn't be the same without all of you reviewing! Therefore, I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed so far - you all mean so much to this fic!  
  
I'm getting ready to write the final chapter of "Lightning Strikes"! And don't worry, I'll write a sequel. :)  
  
If there's anything you think I need to change, add, or take away form this fic, don't hesitate to yell! But remember CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ONLY!  
  
Thanks!  
  
~*~*ANNA*~*~  
  
emerald-hopes 


	6. Jade Velvet

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here except my own characters, and I think you'll be able to figure out who they are. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.  
  
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"This is such bullshit," muttered Hermione, collapsing on the living room couch. She sat back against the jade green velvet and closed her eyes, very tired all of a sudden.  
  
Harry followed his wife out of the kitchen and switched on the living room light. The two diffuser lamps on either side of the TV turned on, flooding the room with light. Harry sat across the room from Hermione in an armchair with the same fabric as the couch. He looked at Hermione and tried to gauge exactly how she was feeling at the moment. He knew, of course, that somewhere deep inside her she had to be sad, but the emotions bubbling at her surface right then seemed to be more along the lines of anger and confusion, and for Hermione that was not a good mix at all. Harry fiddled with his hands, unsure of what to do or say next. He decided to let Hermione make the next move.  
  
After a moment, Hermione spoke. "I just don't understand," she said, hanging her head, "I mean, why would anyone want to kill my parents?"  
  
Harry sighed, but not in exasperation. "I don't know," he said, "but the police are sure it wasn't Voldemort. This isn't his kind of thing, and the Aurors are on his tail right now in Belgium anyway."  
  
Hermione nodded and looked up at her husband. "Thank God for that!" she said, "But I just want to know who hated my parents so much that they would want to kill them!"  
  
Harry sat silently, thinking to himself. He kept racking his brain for a clue as to who might have murdered the Grangers, but he was drawing a blank. Of course, the police and coroner had evidence from both murder scenes, but no one had solved the mystery yet. He thought back to the phone call that he and Hermione had received just half an hour ago.  
  
Because Hermione was sobbing uncontrollably, Harry had answered the phone.  
  
"Hello?" he asked.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Potter? This is Ned James, the coroner where your mother and father-in-law are being held," said the voice on the other end of the line.  
  
"Oh, hello Mr. James," said Harry. He turned to Hermione and mouthed 'coroner' and immediately her cries subsided to whimpers and she began to look interested.  
  
"I'm sorry to be calling at this hour, but I thought it would be best to give you my report as soon as I was through with it," said Mr. James.  
  
"Oh, well, thank you very much," replied Harry, returning to his seat at the kitchen table. Hermione continued to look at him.  
  
"You see, it is very clear that both Mr. and Mrs. Granger were murdered, but by whom neither I nor the police are sure of. They were both killed by magical means," Mr. James informed Harry.  
  
"Were they killed by a spell?" asked Harry.  
  
"Yes, although it does not appear to be the Avada Kedavra curse," answered the coroner.  
  
"Why was there a lot of blood if they were killed by a spell?" inquired Harry, frowning. Hermione sat down next to him at the table.  
  
"The blood tests confirmed that the blood was theirs, and it was there partly because of the impact that both of the Granger's bodies fell victim to. Mrs. Granger hit the wall, and Mr. Granger hit a stationary boxcar." Said Mr. James.  
  
Harry nodded, remembering how Hermione had had to use three different types of magical mess remover to get the bloodstains off of the wall and rug in Audrey's room.  
  
"That is all I can tell you for now Mr. Potter," said Mr. James, "but I will be sure to call you when I have more information."  
  
Harry thanked the coroner and hung up the phone.  
  
Now, as he sat in the overstuffed chair watching Hermione feel awful, he said, "Let's go out on the porch for awhile."  
  
Hermione frowned. "But what about Audrey?" she asked uncertainly.  
  
"Don't worry," said Harry, "I'll sat up the security system and we'll take the baby monitor with us. We'll be right outside in the backyard, right under her window."  
  
"All right, I suppose that would be okay for a little while," said Hermione, standing up and stretching, "I'll go get our coats."  
  
Harry smiled as he set the security system and grabbed the baby monitor off the kitchen table. He met Hermione outside on the dark wood deck and they sat down on the swinging bench.  
  
"It's so peaceful out here," said Hermione, moving closer to Harry. It seemed like her troubles were a million miles away.  
  
"I know, isn't it?" said Harry, putting his arm around Hermione and kissing the top of her head.  
  
"It is because you're here," murmured Hermione, leaning against her husband and closing her eyes.  
  
They stayed this way for a moment, until Hermione suddenly felt Harry jerk away from her. She looked up at him to see his face staring up into the sky, His eyes were wide with terror and his face had gone white.  
  
Hermione looked at where his eyes were looking and when she saw what he was so fearful of, she gasped and jumped off the bench.  
  
She did so because there, hanging from a certain second story window, was Audrey, about to fall.  
  
Hermione's eyes were as big as saucers and she cursed loudly when she remembered that her and Harry's wands were inside.  
  
And then Audrey began to fall.  
  
It was as though time had stopped. Hermione's heartbeat seemed to fade, the stream behind her and Harry's house went silent, and the cicadas stopped their noise.  
  
Until she came to the realization that her daughter was seconds away from death.  
  
"AUDREY! NOOOO!" Hermione shrieked, bolting forward, Harry at her heels.  
  
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A/N: *evil grin* Okay, that's all folks! 


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